Monday, September 26, 2011

Wasim Akram lashes out at Shoaib Akthar’s controversial autobiography

Jumbo Editorial Team

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, one of the living legends of cricket, has ridiculed Shoaib Akhtar and his recently launched autobiography titled Controversially Yours by stating that the pacer was a ‘problem’ when he was active as a player and remains just that even in retirement.

Wasim, who played much more cricket than Shoaib and achieved far greater success in every format of the game, loudly and clearly contended the viewpoint of his ex-colleague, regarding Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

“I remember one of Sachin’s knocks in the Sialkot Test. It was the fourth Test and the wicket had lot of grass. I was 22 and Waqar was 19 and we were very fast,” Wasim recalled in an interview in which he also rejected some of the other allegations made in Shoaib’s autobiography.

“Waqar hit him on his chin and he came back after taking treatment and scored a 50. If a 16-year-old can’t be scared, I don’t think any batsman can be scared. It hardly matters what Shoaib says,” Wasim believed.

Wasim, who led Pakistan in the World Cup in 1996 and 1999, didn’t mice words in stating that Shoaib, a controversial figure all through his playing career, was just trying to sell his book with tall claims while rejecting allegations that he tried to destroy the fast bowler’s career.

“Whatever the Pakistan Cricket Board said I was with them. He was a problem when he was in the team and he is a problem when he is out of the team,” Wasim said about Shoaib, who played quite a few matches under him.

Shoaib, in his autobiography, had alleged that Wasim Akram did not encourage new fast bowlers and tried to destroy his international career.